Tyler Carr

A tech official whose thumb has signaled good news or bad news for drivers for years at Eldora Speedway’s scales was honored today by the Valvoline American Late Model Iron-Man Series before its season finale at Atomic Speedway near Chillicothe, Ohio.

Veteran race official Roy Faulkner of Columbus, Ind., a longtime United Midwestern Promoters-DIRTcar official, was honored at the drivers’ meeting with the inaugural Noel Hargis Lifetime Achievement Award.

Faulkner, a 77-year-old former employee at Cummins Engine still active as a race official, has worked hundreds of DIRTcar Summer Nationals and manned the scales for many Dream and World 100 events at Ohio’s Eldora Speedway. From a race car driver to car owner many years ago with drivers like Darryl Herbert behind the wheel, Faulkner went on to work for UMP founder Bob Memmer while teching race cars alongside with the likes of Gary Herbert, Steve Trabue and many other longtime race officials.

The series instituted the award in honor of longtime race official Noel Hargis of Somerset, Ky. Hargis raced in the 1960s and 1970s before flagging for several central Kentucky tracks, then the Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series (2002-2009) and NARA. He also flagged many Iron-Man tour events, retiring in 2011.

“I wanted to name this award in honor of Noel because he’s someone I’ve always admired and looked up to,” series owner Chris Tilley said. “His consistency, work ethic, professionalism and fair treatment of the race teams over the years have made him respected across the sport. Our group felt like Roy embodies those principles and we wanted to show our appreciation to a longtime race official that deserved it.”